New Beginnings
by Bellalyse Winchester
Summary: Alice and Hatter are on the brink of happiness, but suddenly they are summoned back to Wonderland. They must now fight not against a Heart, but against a madman set only on taking Wonderland for himself.


**Believe it or not, I hat to do this for school...My Lit club meets tomorrow, and I needed to write something REALLY quick. So, if it's bad, that's because it's quick-like, written in a couple hours. It's basically a what-if scenario, what if Hatter and Alice had to return to Wonderland once again?  
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**I might follow up on it, but not anytime soon. Read and review, maybe if I get a lot of reviews... I might choose to work on this story faster? I can't make promises, but I WILL get a nice fuzzy feeling inside from the reviews, and you might be noted in the next chapter.  
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Hatter fingered the rim of his tattered old top hat before leaving it be; he was very much unused to these sorts of occasions, but the hat was as much a part of him as an arm or leg, so to remove it at such a time felt unspeakably wrong. From the corner of his eye, he could see a smirk flit across the lips of his best man, Jack Heart.

The doors at the back of the church swept open, and first through the doors danced the ever-radiant Duchess, tossing golden flowers into either row of pews. It was certain that she gathered the attention of those assembled; her honey-blond curls shone like sunlight in the white chapel, but her deep golden dress distinguished her from the approaching bride.

He could feel the color drain from his cheeks as he saw her, oh—too far away along that aisle. She was beautiful on any day, of course, but there were no words for how she glowed in that white dress, the veil drifting like a white phantom over her shoulders as she stepped along beside a nearly unrecognizable, cleaned-up Charlie.

She met Hatter at the end of the aisle and he could barely keep himself from throwing back her veil and cutting short the ceremony; it was only pomp and circumstance, but it seemed to mean the world to Alice.

"Dearly beloved," the preacher began. Hatter and Alice ignored the droning voice, not taking their eyes from one another for a moment. Their eyes traced the curves of one another's faces, absorbing the infinities of their eyes, until suddenly there was a crash from beyond the doors.

Alice gave Hatter a single look before bolting boldly back to the doors. He, Charlie, and Jack were quick to follow amid the protests of the assembly.

"Alice!" Mrs. Hamilton got to her feet, crying out after her daughter, but her shoulders were taken by the Duchess, who watched the others with concern.

Alice threw open the doors, letting in a cool draft of air from the hallway. Lifting up her skirt, she followed the sounds of crashes; she had learned long ago that nothing ever meant nothing. At the next pair of doors, however, Jack and Hatter took the lead, and with curt nods to one another they each pushed one door open.

"Hatter!"

Though they'd felt prepared for anything, the mousy face of Owl was something none of them could have predicted. Behind her, the elderly Duck stumbled among toppling towers of pots and pans.

"Duck, Owl—what on Earth are you doing here?" Hatter exclaimed in confusion.

"What is this sort of place?" Duck muttered, grabbing up a spoon and slapping it against a pan curiously. At the noise, he jumped, startled.

"It's a kitchen in a church," Alice explained.

"They don't know what either of those things are," Hatter interjected. "The question still stands, _what_ are you doing here?"

"The King of Wonderland sent for you," Owl trilled. At that, Jack cocked his head to the side sharply.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "I was under the impression that _I_ am the King of Wonderland."

"Not since Dodo—I mean, his majesty the King—stepped in," Duck answered. The others drew surprised breaths.

"He had enough supporters to overthrow the Hearts!" Owl exclaimed.

Jack set his jaw icily. "I never should have left," he breathed, curling his hands into fists. The Duchess rushed in suddenly, taking one of his arms in her hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly; Jack stiffened, drawing away from her.

"We've got to get back to Wonderland," he said. "The throne's been threatened. Some nobody who thinks radical revolution can take him to the top."

"Can't the Suits handle it?" the Duchess asked as Jack strode towards Owl and Duck, ignoring her.

"Where's the looking glass you used to get here?" he demanded; Owl pointed over her shoulder with a crooked thumb.

"In an alley just through the back door," she answered meekly, overcome by the fiery air of authority Jack exuded.

The King stepped past the elderly gofers, followed quickly by the Duchess. Alice looked at Hatter and Charlie, swallowing.

"We've got to go," Hatter said after a few moments, and she nodded. Charlie loosened his own tie as he hobbled behind the others to the back of the little kitchen. Through the door they stepped, just as the Duchess and Jack slipped through a wide, ornate mirror.

"Out of the way, harbinger," Charlie demanded, pushing himself in front of Hatter and turning to offer Alice a curt nod that made his white, spiraled goatee bounce. "Just Alice, I will protect you on this most perilous journey, through the heat of battle and the coldest, longest nights. I will—"

"Please say you'll be quiet," Hatter muttered, bringing a little smile to Alice's lips. Charlie mustered his dignity, taking a deep breath before plunging into the looking glass.

Hatter and Alice looked at one another, swallowing nervously.

"I guess we're going back," Alice murmured.

"I guess we are," Hatter agreed. Slowly they took one another's hands and leapt forward.

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**So what do you think? Worthy of a new chapter? Any ideas? Review! **

**XOXO,  
Bella  
**


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